Watching My Son Grow: Language and Abstract Concepts

Cinco de Mayo Sparkle Pony.

Lately, Rowan has been growing and changing by leaps and bounds. While he has stayed at relatively the same size, his brain development and advancing coordination has been astounding to watch.

We started talking to him and signing to him as soon as he was born, hoping that he would pick it up early and often. We often wondered if anything that we were doing was having any effect, since he used the same syllable ("ba") to mean a statement, a question, and pretty much everything in his universe. We need not worry about that any longer.

About a month ago, he started making all the signs t get his basic needs met. He had made them intermittently before, sometimes keeping a sign, sometimes losing it for a month or so- but all of the sudden- BAM!  He now makes signs every day to help us care for him: "milk", "water", "juice", "food", "sleep", and "diaper". Given that he is a generally cheerful guy unless he is hungry, thirtsy, or sleepy- this has been awesome. We have been able to eliminate 80% of his frustration because he can tell us what he needs now.

Here's Rowan, making a personally adapted sign for "more", over and over:


While his go-to syllable is still "ba", he is actively trying to say the words we give to him now. Yesterday, he asked for a slice of bell pepper, and we gave him one- and as usual said "Pepper. Peh-Purrrr." Then he let loose with "beh buh". "Great! Puh Puh Puh- Pep-Purr!" and he enthusiastically went through and tried to make the P sound (which he did) and the end sounds (which appear harder for him to do).

He knows the names of his body parts (most of them, anyway)- and when we ask, "Where's your hair? Your belly button? Your penis? Your elbow?" he can tell us proudly. (And let me tell you- he IS proud. He claps for himself and stomps his feet and does this funny rooster dance that he made up when he's excited about his accomplishments.)

On the go baby, complete with snack jar.

He has also started trying to telling me stories. Short ones, yes. About what just happened. If he falls and hits his head on the chair, he gets my attention, points to his head, the chair, and the ground emphatically saying "ba! ba! ba!". That's my cue to say, "Yes, Rowan. I saw you fall and hit your head on that chair." He seems satisfied after that. I'm delighted he wants to share these things with me. Once, he even fell but did not hit the table, but I saw him move mid-fall so that he would not- preventing himself from getting hurt on the table. He went through the same routine- pointing to the floor, his head, the table. I said, "Good job, Booper- you didn't hit your head!" Then he did the clap and rooster dance for himself.

With him picking up new words every day now, I am so looking forward to having actual conversations with my son.